


Welcome to the Team

by AnnaWatermelon



Series: Café Hwarang [1]
Category: SHINee
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 12:41:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16598114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaWatermelon/pseuds/AnnaWatermelon
Summary: BL cafes are a thing and I let my imagination go wild.





	Welcome to the Team

**Author's Note:**

> https://www.tokyocreative.com/articles/19068-welcome-to-the-boys-love-academy-caf
> 
> An article on BL cafes! You understand why I had to make a SHINee AU.

Taemin took a deep breath as he stood in front of the wooden door, lined with advertisements from companies whose names were so faded they were impossible to read. His heart pounded in his ribcage, so powerful he could feel his pulse in his fingertips, pressed into the palm of his hand. He lifted his hand, prepared to knock, before dropping it to his side, and then raising it again.

 

Three soft taps of his knuckles signaled his presence. The hardest part was over. Hopefully.

 

He rolled on the balls of his feet, twisted them around, looking this way and that. His cheeks filled with air and he shoved his hands in his jacket pockets, letting out the breath and watching the fog blow from his mouth. No answer yet. Had they not heard him? Would he have to somehow muster the courage a second time?

 

Just when his heartbeat was starting to speed up from anxiety again, the small door opened, revealing a short, tan man with dark brown hair. “Sorry, we’re actually closed right now.” He said, melodic voice betraying his somewhat rough appearance, probably flustered from working all day.

 

Not that Taemin minded, because holy shit was this guy handsome. The white dress shirt obviously one size too small, straining against his muscles, his sharp jawline, his plump lips set in a firm line, his round eyes starting to narrow as he looked at him.

 

Oh. He was taking too long to reply. He just made things awkward, didn’t he. “I’m Taemin.” He said, blush creeping up his neck.

 

The other man titled his head, making Taemin worry and blush that much more, because what if he was at the wrong place, or what if his email never sent, or what if - “Oh right, Taemin!” The stranger’s face lit up with recognition, beckoning Taemin inside as he held the door open for him. Taemin breathed a sigh of relief, crushing weight lifting off his chest. They entered the room together, Taemin only now noticing the sounds of running water and metal banging together a few feet away.

 

“Hey hyung!” The man called in the direction of the commotion, where a homey kitchen area hid behind a long counter. “Taemin’s here for his interview!”

 

“Just a sec!” A voice replied, almost drowned out by clamor.

 

“Jinki will be here in a minute.” The stranger told Taemin as if he hadn’t just heard their conversation. He just nodded instead, hiding his chin underneath his wool scarf despite the room being relatively warm.

 

The two waited in the middle of the room, both pretending they didn’t catch the other staring at them every so often, both wanting to say something to break the tense atmosphere but neither knowing how. Just when the man was about to open his mouth, he was interrupted by the same voice as before, now with the addition of the person belonging to it. “Thanks, Jonghyun, I’ll take it from here.” He said as he rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, walking towards the two. The one Taemin now knew as Jonghyun clapped his hands on his thighs before making his way towards the kitchen, a little too fast to be considered casual. Taemin didn’t even realize he was staring at him until Jinki’s voice grabbed his attention again. “Here, let’s have a seat.”

 

Jinki pulled out a chair from the nearest table and gestured for Taemin to sit down, barely hearing Taemin’s quiet “thank you” from behind his scarf as he crossed over to his own seat. He placed his hands on the table in front of him and Taemin kept his in his pockets.

 

“So, uh...how has your day been?” Jinki asked, catching Taemin off guard. He wasn’t sure what kind of opening line he was expecting but it certainly wasn’t that.

 

“Good.” Taemin replied automatically, mouth still hidden behind his scarf, sinking deeper inside it every time there was a particularly loud bang from the kitchen.

 

“Um, so, you’re, uh, here for an interview, yeah?” Jinki’s face spread into a wide smile, apparently oblivious to his clumsy way of speaking.

 

Taemin blinked at him, face blank. “That’s right.”

 

“You…” Jinki paused to push his glasses up his nose, skin slightly sweaty, probably from the work he had been doing beforehand. “You know what kind of cafe this is, right?” His eyes were serious, but despite his sincerity, Taemin couldn’t follow.

 

“It’s...a BL cafe...isn’t it?” He answered with another question, each word slow and chosen with caution, terrified that he was missing something big and making a fool out of himself.

 

“Well yeah, but…” He let out a puff of air, splaying his fingers out on the table. “You know what it is we do here, right? You know this isn’t a regular cafe?”

 

“Um…” Taemin’s gaze wandered to the side, where a bookcase full of manhwa’s were displayed, neatly organized by series. He noticed the expensive looking couch, easily big enough to let two people lie side by side on it, maybe more. He also saw the kitchen where the three staff members were working, two of them standing unusually close to each other as they washed dishes together, and Jonghyun quickly turning his head and rushing in the opposite direction of Taemin. “People...come here...to...make us do things?” Taemin offered, shrugging his shoulders at the weak explanation.

 

“To act out scenes where we’re romantically involved with one another.” Jinki clarified with a soft smile. “You should probably get used to saying stuff like that if you want to work here.”

 

Was it hot in here or was it just Taemin’s entire body? “Y-yeah, sorry…” He stuttered, burying at least half of his face in his scarf by now.

 

“Hyung, stop scaring the new kid away.” A new voice joined in, one of the other employees that was working in the kitchen. Taemin looked up to behold quite possibly the most beautiful person he’d ever seen in his life. Glass-like skin, pronounced cheekbones, sharp eyes that somehow still felt gentle when they regarded Taemin.

 

“I wasn’t scaring him!” Jinki stammered back in self-defense, two hands on his chest. “Right, Taemin? I’m not scary, am I?” He asked, lower lip slightly protruding, and Taemin wasn’t sure if that was a serious question he was supposed to answer or what.

 

But in any case, the answer was “No, it’s just me. He didn’t do anything wrong.”

 

The new man tsked and turned to Jinki, placing one hand on the back of Jinki’s chair as he spoke. “You even convinced him it was his fault.”

 

No no no no no, Taemin tore his hands out of his pockets to shake them, chin rising out of his scarf, eyes going wide. “No, really! He’s been really nice, I didn’t mean to come across that way, I’m - ”

 

“So you do have a face!” The stranger laughed, clear and cutting, prompting Jinki to chuckle along with him. “I’m sorry for teasing you like that, but it is important that we know what you look like before we hire you.”

 

That didn’t quite sink in yet before the man was already observing Taemin, studying his face, making Taemin feel like he was being interrogated by a police officer. Not that that’s ever happened to him. He sucked on his lips, looking anywhere but the man’s face. God his skin was perfect, what the f -

 

“You need to hire him, hyung.” Was all he said, and he finally met Jinki’s eyes instead of Taemin’s face. “He’s really cute.”

 

If it were possible for steam rise off people’s bodies from how hot they were, Taemin would be a personal heater right now. Everywhere from the tips of of his ears to the bottom of his feet were a lovely shade of crimson, his heartbeat so loud it drowned out all his thoughts. “Thanks…” He managed, voice cracking in the middle.

 

“You’re even worse than Jinki, Kibum.” Another new voice entered the scene, this time along with the only employee Taemin hadn’t met as well as Jonghyun. The new person was way taller than Jonghyun, but had the same beautiful skin tone, albeit a little darker, and a mop of black hair that had two round ears sticking out of it. “You’re going to scare the kid off.”

 

“Okay, first off,” Kibum started, counting his points on one of his large hands, “he already looked like someone was trying to steal his lunch money long before I got here. Second of all, I only spoke the truth, and - ”

 

“Guys, seriously, stop talking for two seconds and let me do what I need to do.” Jinki’s voice was level but not stern, and the other three immediately went silent, waiting for him to continue. “Taemin, Kibum was right, physical attractiveness plays a key role in our hiring process and, well, you have enough of that to spare.”

 

Right now Taemin wished he looked like a slime monster so he could melt into the floor instead of having four pairs of eyes on him. “Thank...you…? Again?” He choked out, refusing to look anywhere but at the wood of the table he suddenly found exhilarating. It made sense though, considering the nature of the job, and the fact that everyone who worked here was impossibly gorgeous. Taemin hoped he’d fit in like they said.

 

“Uh, no offence, Taemin…” Jinki continued, drawn out silence coaxing Taemin into lifting his head to look at him. “But are you sure you’ll be able to handle participating in our scenes? You seem a little...shy.”

 

Taemin’s face fell. “Was it that obvious?”

 

“Hey, don’t boo him off stage before he’s had a chance to perform!” Kibum interjected. “At least let him try one out before making a decision.”

 

“Oh...yeah, that makes sense.” Jinki’s mouth hung open, mind seemingly working about a centimeter a minute. “Taemin, would you be okay with that?”

 

Well he definitely didn’t come here expecting to perform surgery when he looked the cafe up. He knew what he signed up for. He could handle this. Probably. “Yes, that’s fine.”

 

“I’ll do the scene with him!” Jonghyun announced not even one second after Taemin finished his sentence, hand shooting up in the air like he was in grade school, ready to be called on. Taemin wasn’t sure what to make of such a strong reaction and just stared in bewilderment.

 

“Yeah sure, go ahead.” Jinki replied, waving his hand nonchalantly at him. Jonghyun closed his hand into a fist and pumped it, probably thinking no one could hear him whispering “yesssssss”.

 

Seemingly ignoring Jonghyun and switching his attention back to Taemin, Jinki explained, “We usually have a rough idea we follow for any given scene, but for now just follow Jonghyun’s lead and do a bit of improv, okay?” He flashed a smile at Taemin, not showing any teeth but genuine all the same.

 

“Okay.” Taemin said in a soft voice, not feeling terribly confident in his acting abilities. But Jonghyun seemed like a nice guy, and certainly enthusiastic, so he trusted he would help him. He stood up from his chair and already Jonghyun was all over him, carefully unraveling his scarf, saying “This might just get in the way, it’s better to get rid of them now.”

 

It made sense, so Taemin unbuttoned his long coat as Jonghyun worked on his scarf, grateful for the help. A pair of snorts distracted him from undoing the last button, tearing his attention towards Kibum and his friend, leaning on each other as they grinned at Jonghyun.

 

“What’s so funny?” Jonghyun asked, glaring at the two and holding Taemin’s scarf in his hand.

 

“You’re so oblivious, hyung.” Kibum said, followed by a couple snickers behind his fist. “Do you even realize how obvious you’re being?”

 

“What’s obvious?” Taemin asked with a tilt of his head, not following this conversation at all.

 

“What, I can’t do this but I have to watch you three making goo-goo eyes at each other constantly?” Jonghyun gestured between him and Taemin when he said “this” and Taemin just really wanted to know what he wasn’t picking up on since apparently it involved him.

 

For the first time, Jinki was the one flushing pink. “I don’t make goo-goo eyes at them. I’m very professional at work.”

 

“Just this morning you gave Kibum a back hug and watched him wash his hands with your head on his shoulder.” Jonghyun accused, furrowing his eyebrows at Jinki. “I could even hear you humming as you rocked side to side with him.”

 

Jinki went even darker and Kibum just laughed some more. “You saw that?” Jinki asked, sounding genuinely embarrassed. Taemin felt a little bad for the guy.

 

“And the day before that you kissed Minho before going to clean a table, and before that you - ”

 

“Okay, I get it.” Jinki interrupted, ears bright red and lips set in a firm line. “Can you please just do what you need to do?”

 

Jonghyun looked at the scarf in his hand to Taemin’s jacket already hung on the back of his chair to Taemin, staring at him with a million questions swimming in his eyes. “Shit, right.” He hissed, placing the scarf on top of the jacket and taking Taemin’s wrist in his hand, leading him towards the corner where the couch was.

 

“This is probably our most requested scene.” He explained once they stopped in front of the couch, other three leisurely making their way to the same area to observe. “You’ll be lying there reading one of our manhwa’s, and I’ll come up and tease you about it. Sound good? I promise I won’t say anything mean.”

 

Taemin pictured the scene in his head, thinking it seemed rather tame in comparison to what he was expecting after looking the store up online. “That’s fine.”

 

The smile Jonghyun made completely took over his face like he couldn’t control it. “Great! Just get comfortable and I’ll grab a book for you.” Taemin nodded in reply and sank down on the cushion, making a face at how surprisingly stiff it was. He supposes sometimes things that are expensive are worse quality than cheap stuff. Goddammit, rich people.

 

Jonghyun rushed back not five seconds later and handed the book to Taemin, who thanked him and laid down on his back, opening to a random page only to be greeted with an entire penis. His eyes bulged out and he blushed a deep pink before hastily turning the pages towards the beginning of the book. His reaction must’ve made what he saw obvious because Minho was laughing at him, surprisingly high considering his low speaking voice while the other two tried and failed to keep a straight face.

 

He barely read through the first page before the manhwa was ripped out of his hands, half a mind to tell whoever had done that off before remembering it was just Jonghyun and part of a scene. Jonghyun was standing next to him, one hand in his pants pocket, friendly demeanor changed to something Taemin couldn’t quite place. “You read this kind of stuff?” He said, mocking edge to his voice. There was no way this was the same person he was talking to moments before.

 

“U-um…” Taemin stammered as he wracked his brain for a response. “I-I was holding onto it for a friend and got bored, it was the only thing I had on hand…” His voice trailed off at the end when Jonghyun turned to him, staring at him from the corner of his eyes, mouth tilting in the corner and raising one eyebrow. When Taemin gulped, his throat felt like sandpaper.

 

“Is that so?” Jonghyun said, lilt in his voice. He set the book on a nearby table and leaned over Taemin, placing a hand above him on the couch. “That’s too bad. I would’ve hoped you were into that.”

 

Taemin was sure he must look like a fish with how wide his eyes were and how his mouth kept opening and closing, brain too hazy to string words into sentences. “I...um…”

 

“Unless you were lying to hyung, huh?” Now Jonghyun was lifting his legs over Taemin’s, and he was on top of him, and he was so close and - “That’s a little naughty, Taemin. Are you naughty?”

 

Shit, okay, the things that did to Taemin weren’t even funny. His legs shook and dropped flat on the cushions, his hands balled into fists, his lips caught between his teeth so he wouldn’t accidentally make a sound. “I’m...I’m not…” His mouth went dry when he tried to get that last word out, he really, really couldn’t do it.

 

Right when he took an inhale to say something, anything, like he was expected to, Jonghyun grabbed his face, fingers stroking under his chin, thumb rubbing his bottom lip and forcing him to look at him. If he hadn’t known better, he’d say that this Jonghyun and the one he met earlier were twins and he was currently stuck with the evil one. His once warm eyes were narrowed and tracing his every facial feature, the mouth that was once seemingly stuck in a permanent smile now frowning slightly, as if Taemin were a bug and Jonghyun was done showing mercy. “Have you ever been kissed, Taemin?” He asked, and something in his voice, be it how rough it suddenly became or how his words were lined with belittlement, made Taemin do a full body shiver, praying to god Jonghyun hadn’t noticed.

 

“N-no…” Taemin breathed, forgetting he was supposed to be acting and accidentally answering truthfully without a second thought.

 

A toothy grin spread across Jonghyun’s face, not at all like the one Taemin was used to seeing. This one didn’t reach his eyes. “Would you like to?”

 

“W-would...would I…” Taemin repeated, fighting to keep his eyes open and register those words in his brain. Would he like to…

 

When Jonghyun started leaning in, it finally clicked. Kissing. Jonghyun was going to kiss him. His first kiss was going to Jonghyun and he was okay with that. Why was he okay with that? He braced himself when Jonghyun was so close, too close, and he squeezed his eyes shut, holding his breath and anticipating the feeling of lips on his. Oh god, this was actually happening.

 

Except...that didn’t feel like lips. He’d never had lips on his before but it definitely wasn’t supposed to feel like that, and he was pretty sure about this. But Jonghyun was obviously close enough for them to be kissing, and his skin set on fire when he opened his eyes to make sure and found Jonghyun’s face not even a centimeter away from his. So what was on his lips if not Jonghyun’s?

 

He took note of the pressure on his mouth and only once he took a moment to think about it did he remember Jonghyun’s fingers under his chin. If his hand was there, then that meant…

 

His thumb. It’s Jonghyun’s thumb. This is a stage kiss and Taemin is an idiot.

 

Jonghyun eventually pulled away from the kiss that wasn’t really a kiss after five seconds that felt more like five hours. He lay frozen on the couch while Jonghyun climbed off, hearing applause to his left from the other employees, because this was just an act but Taemin couldn’t move his legs.

 

“Great job, Taemin, you played the role of submissive dongsaeng perfectly!” Minho praised, and somehow Taemin was able to move just enough to face him.

 

“You would know.” Jonghyun retorted, earning him a playful slap from Kibum. And there was the old Jonghyun, with the real smile and genuine laughter and the crinkles around his eyes, standing slightly slouched and instead of towering above him.

 

Taemin would be lying if he said he didn’t like the other Jonghyun, too.

 

“I still have to look over your credentials, Taemin, but assuming those are fine, you’ll be working here by next week.” Jinki said, patting Taemin on the shoulder, completely oblivious to the chaos currently scrambling through his brain, where words melded together and actions were hopeless.

 

But a job. A job is good. That’s what he came here for. Yes.

 

He didn’t feel anything about being hired until he was finally able to really look at Jonghyun, watch as he played around and laughed with the others, not sure what they were talking about and it wasn’t any of his business anyways. A job here meant he’d get to see Jonghyun every week. A job here meant he’d be working side by side with him and getting to know him and spend time with him. His face finally broke into a real smile. This might be okay, after all.

 

Later that evening, as Taemin was walking to the bus stop, mind wandering, hands in his coat pockets, he felt a thin piece of paper brush his fingers. His eyebrows set and he pulled it out, holding it in front of his face, realizing too late that the snow was falling onto it and getting it damp. It didn’t matter though, because Taemin was already tapping the information into his phone, face breaking out into a smile.

 

_Call me - Jonghyun ♥_


End file.
